No one can take back welfare schemes: CM Shinde ahead of Maharashtra polls

With Maharashtra assembly polls less than a month away, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday asserted that all the welfare schemes started by his government will continue, noting that the intention of the opposition is to take back the welfare schemes after coming to power.

"The opposition leaders say that if they form the government, they will stop all schemes and make enquiries into the schemes. No one can take back the welfare schemes," Shinde told ANI.

288-member Maharashtra assembly will go to the polls on November 20, with the counting of votes to be held on 23.

Further terming this year's Diwali as special, Maharashtra CM said, "This year's Diwali is very special. The daughters, youth and farmers have got several schemes this year."

"We are celebrating Diwali today. This is our festival; taking it forward is our duty. When our government came, we started the celebration of festivals again." he added.

Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) are contesting the assembly polls under the banner of Mahayuti alliance, seeking to return to power. They are up against the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar) and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray).

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar said on Thursday underscored that MValliance partners will soon sit down to find solutions on seats where more than one nomination is being filled from MVA.

"I don't have much detail about it because I am not part of all these talks. our other leaders are looking into it, but I know there are some 10-12 seats where two nominations are being filled from the alliance...in the next two-three days we will sit together to find the solution for it," Sharad Pawar said in response to the speculation of a friendly fight within the MVA alliance.